What sets the newly crowned light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev apart from his Dagestani “Muslim brothers” like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev? Well, it seems his cocky personality and sharp rebuttals make the cut. The Russian powerhouse shocked MMA fans last week at UFC 313, where he dominated Alex Pereira in a grueling 25-minute battle. Throughout the fight, Pereira spent much of his time evading Ankalaev’s relentless pressure. However, after the bout, it became clear that the new champion had truly earned the title of “Merc with the Mouth” thanks to his verbal bombardment.

After the event, Jiri Prochazka congratulated Magomed Ankalaev on X, saying, “Congrats, beautiful pressure. Most people don’t like it. You won the title for now.” The former champ, also called for a trilogy fight with Alex Pereira, as the Czech fighter was behind 0-2 in their past encounters. But the praise from Prochazka didn’t sit well with the Russian powerhouse, who dismissed Prochazka’s previous title reign, labeling him a “fraud.”

Recently, ‘BJP’ responded to Ankalaev’s comments during an appearance on the Ariel Helwani show, where the veteran journalist brought up a screenshot of the Dagestani export’s remarks. Prochazka fired back, saying, “The only fraud fighter here is Magomed Ankalaev. Right now he is the champion, but I think nobody likes that or respects that he is the champion. Don’t speak about me anymore, ’cause you don’t know me. Absolutely, you don’t know what kind of life I’m living. Face me in the cage, then you will understand.”

As mentioned, Prochazka had his sights set on completing a trilogy against Pereira. However, Ankalaev’s bold words have now shifted the Czech warrior’s focus onto him. Reflecting on his decision, Prochazka admitted, “After the fight, I was like, ‘Man, I have to fight with Alex Pereira…But then I realized, ‘Man, I want a title. I want to go with Ankalaev because of his style and his mouth.”

And Prochazka isn’t wrong. Ankalaev has built a reputation not just for his skills inside the cage but also for his sharp tongue. His past remarks about the Brazilian’s past struggles with alcoholism and his infamous “sign your death certificate” comment—sparked controversy. The Russian Powerhouse even went as far as rallying all of Brazil against Alex Pereira in an attempt to break him down—and in the end, he got exactly what he wanted.

Magomed Ankalaev weighs in on a potential rematch with Alex Pereira

“Probably,” responded UFC boss Dana White when asked at the UFC 313 post-fight press conference about the possibility of a rematch between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev. With the fight going to a close decision, many including Brendan Schaub, Kenny Florian, and Marlon Vera felt that the judges got it wrong, fueling calls for an immediate rematch.

However, White seemed less concerned about the judging and more disappointed with ‘Poatan’s performance. Expressing his frustration with the main event, he stated, “It was not what I expected,” emphasizing that he had anticipated a more aggressive fight with more “shooting.”

Despite the controversy, the new champ welcomed the idea of a rematch. However, the Dagestani had a different perspective. He took a jab at Alex Pereira, accusing him of running for 20 straight minutes rather than engaging in a real fight. While acknowledging Pereira’s skill, the Russian took to social media, writing: “It was an honor sharing the cage with you.”

“You are a great champion, and your team and coaches have a lot of class. Let’s run it back anytime you want. But Alex was saying he wasn’t sure why the victory was given to me… Listen, I’m happy for a rematch, but maybe in the rematch, you fight for real—not just run away the entire time.”

What do you think of Magomed Ankalaev’s antics in the promotion? Does his cocky personality indicate that he’s trying to follow the path of Dricus Du Plessis or even Conor McGregor? Share your thoughts below!”